The List
by theblackbirdsong
Summary: Sequel to Hamartia: As she finds herself further up the hierarchy within the demon world, Raven and the Titans must unravel a deadly mystery. One that involves a list where the Titans find themselves at top. A list they are about to be crossed off. This is a story of demons, deception, and an underground market for bloodthirsty billionaires. RobinxRaven.
1. Chapter 1

Hello!

Alright everyone, here is the sequel to _Hamartia. _I recommend reading _Hamartia_ or you might be confused by the references in this story. But hey, do whatever your little heart desires. I'm giving this a high T rating. A T+ if you will, for strong language, sexual situations, and violence. On second thought, maybe I should make this an M rating. Oh well, maybe I'll change it one it gets there.

I do not own the Teen Titans or any other characters in the DC Universe. I do not own the songs or quotes at the beginning of every chapter.

Much love

BBS

Eyes on fire

Your spine is ablaze

Felling any foe with my gaze

And just in time

In the right place

Steadily emerging with grace

"Eyes on Fire" –Blue Foundation

A man ran through the dark streets of Jump City, stumbling as he felt his pursuer close in on him. Usually the chase was thrilled him, but this time, the rush of adrenaline terrified him. He turned down an alley praying for an escape. However, God was not on his side today and his path was blocked by a high wall. The frantic man turned around, a gun trembling in his hand. He pointed it in the alley's dark shadows knowing, feeling, the dark presence that had been chasing him.

"Back the fuck off or I'll blow your fucking brains out!"

Deadly silence answered him but his instincts knew something was there. His gun clicked into place, the sound echoing off the brick walls. From one of the shadows, an edge of a cloak barely flickered into the dim light. It was enough for the man and he pointed his gun toward the shadow, a predatory smile spreading on his face.

"I see you."

Suddenly, something whizzed through the air and knocked the gun out of his hand. He cried out in pain, gripping his bleeding hand and searching wildly for his attacker. He only saw him when the boy dropped from the building and landed feet first on the criminal. The man looked up and realized that it was no boy at all, but rather a man. A young man, but a man no doubt, with his jaw set in a stern line and his masked eyes glaring at the man on the ground. The man wiped the blood off his lip, staring up at the young hero,

"I knew I saw a cape, Boy Wonder. You're getting sloppy."

"That wasn't me."

A figure stepped out of the shadows, the face shrouded in darkness. Terror washed over him at the sight of the girl. He knew he felt her ominous presence. He felt like a child watching his worst nightmare emerge from the crevice of his closet. He stumbled backwards, trying to get away from the dark Titan he had heard so much about, so many terrible things.

"No," it came out barely a whisper, "not her."

He was grabbed by a gloved hand and pushed into the brick wall. His eyes were torn away from the cloaked girl and focused on the hero on front of him. He grimaced as his back was hit roughly against the wall again.

"I don't like it when people point guns at my friends," Robin's voice was deep and threatening, becoming more like his mentor's. A shiver ran down the man's spine.

"I…I'm s…"

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to her."

Still feeling the glare of masked eyes, the man forced himself to face the girl. She had not moved an inch since emerging from the shadows. He jumped in Robin's grasp when she spoke,

"You said I was sloppy."

The man looked like he was about to cry and he looked towards the masked boy for sanctuary. Robin just shook his head and dropped the man before speaking,

"I think I'll let you two talk."

"No! Please don't leave me alone with her! Please! Oh God!"

Robin ignored his screams and backed into the shadows.

Raven walked towards the cowering man with eerie gracefulness, the scent of his fear making her hungry. Her demon blood came alive, but her control kept it caged.

"Your screams are useless."

They were giving her a damn headache anyways. The man began to sob and whisper broken prayers. Under her hood she rolled her eyes and the demonic girl used her powers to hold the man against the wall. The prayers became louder and more frantic as her dark powers wrapped around him. Raven became more annoyed but she stepped closer until only a yard separated them.

"Your God cannot help you now," the man stopped his prayers and stared wide-eyed at her, "I believe you have something that is not yours."

His courage started to grow when he saw the stature of the girl. She looked human, at least the lower half of her face did. "I know people. Terrible people that will fuck you up," another predatory smile spread across his face and he dared a glance at her body, "Or maybe they'll just fuck you, princess."

The Boy Wonder reemerged from the shadows, his face twisted in fury as he began to approach the pair. But before he reached them, Raven's inner demon unleashed itself for only a moment but long enough for him to see the glint of sharp teeth and the flash of red eyes. She did not bother to cover the demonic voice that came with her own,

"Do you value your life? I will not hesitate to kill you, to devour you slowly. I'm no hero."

Once again the man was reduced to a cowering mess, all trace of courage gone, "I c-can't go to jail. You don't know what they'd do to a guy like me."

"Then you have a choice: who are you more afraid of? Them?" she flashed her teeth once again, "Or me?"

* * *

Robin finished talking to the police officer who gave her a nod. She nodded back but turned away when the Boy Wonder faced her. She roughly pulled her hood away and watched the sidewalk across the street where a homeless woman was pushing a cart. The squeaking of a busted wheel making the only sound as the squad cars left the scene. She felt him beside her, his aura always standing out among all others. Raven didn't turn to speak to him,

"I had it under control. You didn't need to intervene."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "He had a gun pointed at you. What was I supposed to do? Let him shoot you?"

She turned to face him, her eyes aflame, "I knew he had a gun pointed at me. That's why I was holding up a shield. You told me you'd let me handle it, Robin. It's been two months since the Seraph. You need to let me patrol on my own again."

Her Anger demanded to be felt but she pushed it away. She knew she had a right to be angry and that would have to suffice for now. However, Robin's anger pushed against her along with his frustration.

"You can't always rely on your scare tactic every time, Raven. Not everyone is afraid of death. There are worse things than being dead."

"I know."

A moment of silence lapsed between the two birds. Raven felt her companion's frustration melt away and his apology emerge. He grabbed her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, okay? I just worry about you," she opened her mouth to interrupt but he raised his voice and continued, "I know I shouldn't, but I do. I promise next time I'll stay at the tower and you can go by yourself."

Her violet eyes squinted with suspicion, "Promise?"

He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "Promise."

Raven made a show of wiping the kiss off, but he gave her a grin, "You have to admit though. We were pretty awesome back there."

Raven rolled her eyes and created a portal, "We? I did all the work Boy Blunder."

"I believe I have a missing bird-a-rang from my belt that says otherwise."

"You really need another name for those things."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Dick discs?"

Her comment made him throw back his head and laugh before he covering her mouth with his hand and whispering, "Geez tell the world my name."

She pulled his hand off her mouth and scowled, "Oh it's no secret you're a dick."

His laughter faded from her hearing as she stepped through the portal.

* * *

The Titans sat at a table at their favorite ice cream place in downtown Jump. The mid-summer sun shined brightly above them but the surrounding skyscrapers kept them in a cool shade. Out of uniform, they were all relaxed and in a good mood. People passed by but left the teens alone except for an occasional wave or greeting. Starfire happily ate her cake batter ice cream while waving at curious little kids as they walked by. She wore white jean shorts and a purple tank top, her long red hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was effortlessly beautiful and more than a couple of teenage boys stumbled over their own feet as they walked past her. Beast Boy enjoyed a vegan chocolate milkshake and he stared obviously at girls that walked by. He wore a pair of cargos and a JCPD shirt. Cyborg talked to Robin in between bites of strawberry chocolate sundae. He wore a white beater with black basketball shorts while Robin wore a similar outfit of red basketball shorts and a white T-shirt. Instead of his usual mask, he wore a pair of Ray Bans and an easy-going smile. He ate a vanilla ice cream cone as he listened to Cyborg. Raven licked at a dark chocolate raspberry concoction on a waffle cone as she stared up at the tall buildings and her general surroundings. She chose to wear a black V-neck shirt and faded jean shorts. Her hair draped over one of her shoulders in an effort to stay cool in the hot weather.

She was in the midst of licking a run-away drop of her ice cream off her fingers when she heard her name. She had the impression that it wasn't the first time it was called.

"Raven."

She looked up at the robotic man who smiled at her. Her tongue left her knuckles and she sat up straighter,

"Uh. Yes?"

"Whatcha thinking about?"

She felt the eyes of her team on her. Ever since the incident with Slade and the Seraph, her friends asked her regularly how she was and what she was thinking about. She promised herself and them that she would be more open and less secretive. It drove her insane on some days.

She sighed, "Nothing really. Just enjoying my ice cream I suppose."

The table deemed her answer as acceptable and continued whatever they were previously doing. It was almost meditative; the constant flow of people that walked by, the hum of her friends' conversations, the gentle warmth from the sun, and the calm breeze that followed. She was yanked from her peaceful thoughts when she heard a slurping noise. She scowled at its creator, Beast Boy.

"I think it's empty," she said, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice.

"Nah, there's a little more left," he replied before slurping even louder. She felt his amusement and knew he was doing it to get under her skin.

"You're done," she said in monotone, before using her telekinesis to yank the empty cup from his hand and tossing it in the garbage.

"Hey!"

"No powers in public, Rae," said an amused Cyborg as he tossed away his empty bowl.

"Yeah, typical Raven, always trying to draw attention to herself," Beast Boy joked as he picked up a discarded tabloid off a table. He grabbed a newspaper for Robin and tossed it towards the Titan's leader.

Moments later an angry growl escaped the usually masked boy who pushed the paper towards the middle of their table and pointed at an article. They immediately recognized the grainy photograph as one of their newer villains, Predator.

"'To Catch a Predator'," Beast read the title and grimaced, "laaaame." He leaned away from the paper as his friends continued to read and picked up his tabloid.

Starfire spoke up, "He has been sitting down for a while. It's strange that he is coming back into the photograph now, is it not?"

Cyborg's eyes stayed on the paper as he answered her, "It's "lying low" and "back into the picture", Star and I guess he missed Raven."

Robin shot him a look and the robotic man put his hands up in surrender, "Hey I don't like it either man but it looks like Raven has got herself an arch nemesis."

"Ooooo!"

Raven finally spoke up, rolling her amethyst eyes, "It's a villain not a crush Beast Boy and no. Predator is not my "arch nemesis". I'm offended you would even consider him to be in my league."

Robin grinned and Cyborg laughed.

Starfire grabbed the paper and folded it back up, "I'm glad he does not frighten you friend. After all, you did beat him without your powers."

Raven nodded, returning her attention to her ice cream, "So there you have it. The search continues for my arch nemesis."

Beast Boy's laughter caused their heads to turn towards him.

"Oh my God. This is too great."

He put his tabloid in the center of the table, eagerly waiting to see his friends' reactions. Plastered across two pages, in bold lettering read, "Jump City's Hottest New Couple: Starfire and Robin" Below the caption featured pictures of the two after battles and around the city with the rest of the team carefully cropped out.

"Oh my goodness! This is not true," Starfire cried as she lifted the paper closer to her. Her green eyes shot towards Robin, "we are not the couple!" The Boy Wonder just laughed and pulled the paper away from the distressed alien,

"Star, it's okay. It's just a tabloid. Most of it is bullshit."

She visibly relaxed, but Raven's mind remained strained. The demonic girl pushed back her jealousy and the hurt she felt. She knew that people preferred to pair the gorgeous, friendly Starfire with the city's pride and joy, Robin, the Boy Wonder. Jump City could not fathom a world where their golden boy would end up cuddling with the mysterious, creepy Titan even though it was what happened most nights at the tower. Their relationship was a secret to the public for protection and even concealed from their friends. They just knew things had changed between the two birds since the Incident two months ago.

"Raven. Helloooo, Rae-Rae."

Again Raven was pulled from her thoughts, her emotions tucked back in their cages. She felt her team's eyes on her again until they locked on the green shape-shifter.

Beast Boy shook his head, "God you are spacey today. We wanted to know if you're ready to leave."

She stood up in her chair, indicating that she was ready to go. Raven mumbled as she threw her trash away, "I'm not spacey. I'm just tuning you out."

She followed her team out the door and jumped slightly when she felt an arm around her shoulder. She was greeted with the handsome, dimpled smile of the Boy Wonder. Happiness jolted with excitement in her cage and a blush crept along her cheeks. His voice was quiet but playful,

"So if this week's tabloids say that I'm with Starfire and last week's said that you are rendezvous-ing with Red-X, does that mean we are having an affair?"

Her voice was mock seriousness, "I suppose we are. But, I have to admit something to you…"

His grin grew wider, expectant.

She continued, miraculously not returning the smile, "I don't know how to say this but…I've been seeing the T-car on the side also. Don't tell Cyborg."

Two weeks ago, a tabloid announced that the Titan's resident mechanic and the team's mode of transportation were in a committed relationship. It was the only thing the magazine had published that barely touched the truth.

Robin laughed loudly, "You home-wrecker! He'll be crushed. All this and I have to manage to pay child support for Jinx and I's love child?"

Raven's face broke into a small smile, "What a mess we've gotten ourselves into."

He sneaked a kiss on her forehead before letting his arm drop from her shoulders.

"Yeah but at least I have you."

.


	2. Chapter 2

Dear lovely readers,

So while proof reading chapters one and two, I've realized that I have a slight tendency to use the f-word a lot haha so the rating will be bumped up to M. I also plan on pushing some boundaries in future chapters so I'm just gonna go ahead and change it now so I don't get in trouble (whatever that entails). Read and review please

Much love

BBS

"And it's hard to dance

With the devil on your back

So shake him off"

"Shake it off"- Florence and the Machine

…

"You have to be faster than that, Rae."

"Can't we pretend I'm fighting a giant slug or something?"

"Raven."

"Robin."

She was beginning to regret asking for a lesson in hand-to-hand combat from the boy who was trained by one of the world's greatest fighters. Raven insisted that their training begin the same week she was returned to her friends. She refused to be treated delicately, like she would crumble into a thousand pieces if they touched her. Even if she did show up at Robin's door in the middle of the night sometimes and jumped at the chance to have sleepovers in Starfire's room, she still fought alongside her teammates and she could handle a few punches.

He shook his head, sweat droplets falling from his hair and onto the mat, "This team relies too much on their powers. We need to change that."

"You know, you rely on your super power too much."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Being super annoying."

She aimed a few more punches at the Boy Wonder who dodged them with grace. He landed a punch to her gut which caused her to double over. He grimaced an apology and almost didn't have time to block the kick she spun towards him.

"Good," he said as he blocked a nearly flawless kick.

She threw up her hands in frustration, "What do you mean "good"? You blocked it!"

Suddenly, her feet were swiped from under her and she landed on her back with Robin on top of her. He held her wrists firmly in place above her head as he straddled her waist.

"Yeah but not everyone is as good as me."

Raven made a show of rolling her eyes, "I must've forgotten that you were the best at everything. Silly me."

Robin lowered his mouth to her ear, "Maybe I should remind you." He trailed his lips from her ear and settled on her neck, his tongue picking up the salty taste of the sweat on her skin. Medicine balls and weights shook free from their racks. She moved her arms to touch him but he held them firmly above her head. Raven felt him smile on the skin under her jaw and then he placed his lips on hers. She bit the bottom of his lip and sucked it, his groan unleashing a need in Raven. She kissed him passionately and he returned it with enthusiasm. Caught in the moment, he released her hands and she immediately used them to pull his head closer to hers. She gently tugged a handful of his raven hair and was awarded with another groan. Their breathing was more labored now that it was during their spar. Raven took in a quick breath when he pulled her leg up to wrap around him and pressed closer.

Suddenly, they heard the training room door open and they flew apart. Cyborg walked through the door and eyed the two Titans.

Robin cleared his throat and Raven began awkwardly, "So…uhh…where did you say you were hurt?"

"My leg…the top of it…"

The robotic man rolled his eyes, "Don't you two act like nothing happened. I'm not a dumbass. There's broken shit everywhere."

Raven blushed and another rack of weights fell down on cue. The Titan's leader recovered and gave Cyborg a devilish grin,

"My leg was practically hanging off my body. Raven saved me. I'm lucky I'm alive."

Cyborg sat himself down on a bench, chalking up,

"Damn right you're lucky you're alive. I catch you touching her again, we are really gonna be testing her healing abilities."

Robin aimed his smile at Raven before stepping backwards towards the gymnastic equipment,

"Great job today, Rae. Your kicks have really improved."

"Thanks again for helping me."

He did a perfect back handspring onto the beam and flashed her a cocky smile, "Anytime."

She shook her head and turned towards the door, yelling without looking back, "Careful with that leg, show off!"

"I'll come to you if it starts acting up!" she heard the laughter in his voice.

"BOTH OF YOU NEED TO STOP!"

* * *

Raven sat on the roof of Titan's Tower and stared out across the ocean. The sun was beginning to set and colors were painted brilliantly across the sky. She heard the waves crash against their island as the wind gently whipped her hair off her face. She closed her eyes and smiled, her meditation leaving her peaceful. Happiness stirred gently and Raven let her be felt because there wasn't much to destroy on the roof.

She put her hand over the Mark on her chest, feeling the heat underneath her palm that was noticeably warmer than the rest of her skin. She had given up on trying to get rid of it and accepted that it would be there forever, always reminding her of her darkest side. Just another way her father has scarred her for life.

An image flashed across her mind. She saw a row of seven shadows, their eyes burning with hellfire. Raven pushed away the image and the knot of dread forming in her stomach. The scar under her hand burned hotter and she jerked her hand away. A wave of anxiety loomed over her, threatening to ruin the progress from her meditation. Raven forced it back and stood up as if she could physically escape the demonic presence.

She debated whether or not to tell Robin about the strange vision that flashed in her head. She knew she should, but the dark circles under the Boy Wonder's eyes from staying up night after night worrying about her had only just begun to disappear. Raven bit her lip, weighing her options, but once again, decided to keep the image to herself. After all, the demonic girl was a creature of secrecy and she never agreed to start sharing absolutely everything with her team.

Throwing her hood over her face, she walked back inside the tower where she was greeted with the loud noises of her teammates. Uno Attack sat on the ground between an excited Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy. Starfire laid on her stomach, propped up by her elbows and her feet kicking happily behind her as she stared down her cards. She caught Raven's entrance and smiled brightly at the empath,

"Raven, would you like to play? This machine spits cards at you!"

Raven pushed away the alien's happy emotions like they were excited, drooling dogs. The beautiful alien just felt too strongly sometimes.

"No thanks, Star. Maybe some other time."

She pulled out a tea packet from the kitchen cabinet and prepared her tea. The violet haired girl looked up when she heard their door swoosh open and their leader walked through it. His face was different from the one she had seen earlier that day. His easy going smile had been replaced with a stern look and a straight posture. Seeing his expression, Raven grabbed another mug and started up the coffee maker. He was in his serious, all-business leader role and he would need his coffee.

"I have some reports of suspicious activity from different parts of the city. Most of it includes missing equipment and chemicals from certain labs ranging from pharmaceutical to biological," he threw the folder of papers on the counter and ran a hand through his hair, "I've been trying to piece together what our unsub could be planning but it just doesn't add up."

Raven grabbed the folder and leaned against the counter, flipping through the papers. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to connect the pieces together,

"I've never heard of anything that would need this sort of equipment. It's a pretty random assortment," she tossed it back on the counter and took a sip of her tea, "maybe there's a high demand for medical equipment on the black market."

She knew it was a half-assed answer, but if she didn't give Robin some sort of a solution, she knew he'd lose a week's worth of sleep trying to figure it out. Beast Boy pushed himself off the ground with a grunt and walked over to them,

"Let me see."

Raven rolled her eyes, but she pushed the folder towards him. _Wait for it._

The green shape-shifter grabbed it and his brow furrowed with concentration. Raven felt his determination and she couldn't help but begin to feel a swell of love for him knowing that he tries to help as much as he can and to look capable in the eyes of the Titan's leader.

"Just as I suspected."

The violet-haired girl raised an eyebrow as she handed Robin his coffee.

"It's just a bunch of sneaky meth heads stealing from these labs. Haven't any of you seen Breaking Bad? I say we start by questioning any surrounding schools and their chemistry teachers."

_And the feeling's gone_, Raven thought as she sighed. Robin lowered the cup from his lips and shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The empath felt a small amount of tension release from the masked boy and replaced with subtle amusement and then mixed with curiosity.

"Raven, why are you in civvies?"

Raven downed the last of her tea and glanced at their clock

7:00

"Because I'm going somewhere. Cyborg, can I borrow the keys?"

"Which keys?"

"Raven…"

"The key to the civilian car."

"Yeah no problem, Rae. They should be on the counter."

"Raven."

"Thank you," she said quickly as she grabbed the keys and started heading towards the door, fully aware that she was ignoring the Boy Wonder and fully aware that he knew she knew.

_Please don't ask questions. Please don't questions. Please don't ask questions._

"Raven!"

She felt a gloved hand grab her wrist and she knew she was caught.

_Shit_

"Do you mind, bird boy? I'm running late," she was grateful that her annoyance covered up her anxiety.

"Uh yeah, actually I do mind. Your absence wasn't cleared by me."

Raven inwardly groaned. Robin had become strict on the whole "leaving without permission" thing ever since the Incident. Now he had to know where each Titan was going, what time they'd be leaving, what time they'd return, and who they would be with, if anyone. He was like a dad on prom night or a mom on every other night. Or at least that's what she understood from TV shows.

"I'll be at JU for a lecture. I'll be gone from, well, five minutes ago when I should've left. I'll be back around 9:30-10ish. I'll be sitting with about 50 other people our age, all potential witnesses, should anyone try to kidnap me."

Raven gave him a quick kiss before he could object, which she knew he would, "I have my communicator, bye!"

And she phased out of the room.

* * *

Raven sat in the back of the lecture hall, the hood of her jacket pulled over her head, hiding the majority of her violet hair and her ruby chakra. A few of her fellow peers occasionally glanced nervously at her, but she continued to stare at the slides at the front of the room. She felt her T-com buzzing in her pocket and she peeked into its crevice already knowing the name she would see

_Robin_

She pushed the ignore button and sent him a text.

**Raven: Still alive**

Not even moments later, she felt a single buzz

**Robin: The rules still apply to you**

**Raven: Since when?**

**Robin: You're not funny**

The red head in front of her with dandruff on his shoulders turned around and scrunched his face in distaste, "Shhh!"

"Fuck off," she said as she tucked the com back into her pocket. He turned around, his prickly agitation annoying her. Raven stared at the clock. _Five minutes left. _She turned her attention towards the professor who continued to show pictures of various pentagrams and other symbols the demonic girl was all too familiar with. She wasn't here for the actually lecture anyway.

The man up front was probably in his early 50's judging by the amount of gray in his black goatee. He carried the weight most men his age did and he was sweating through his short-sleeved plaid shirt. Despite his average looks and the unnecessary frequency in which he pushed his glasses back on his nose, Dr. Cunningham was one of the most renowned demonologists in the world. Raven had some questions for him.

He flipped off the projector; his good-bye drowned out by the sound of shuffling papers and zipped up backpacks. Raven stayed in her seat and ignored the feelings of annoyance and frustration pressing against her empathy as several students made a show of having to climb over her. When the room was mostly empty, she finally stood up and descended the stairs, approaching Dr. Cunningham as he shoveled his notes into a faded leather messenger bag. A petite, blond girl shoved past her and ran up to the professor, beginning to beg for an extension on a paper. Hiding a scowl, Raven stood off to the side and crossed her arms.

He mumbled a "yeah, whatever" to the girl who smiled and thanked him. Elated with relief, the girl ran up the stairs. He didn't look up as Raven approached him, struggling to fit a lesson planner in the strained bag,

"Office hours are on Wednesdays from 12-2 in Mahogany Hall room 320."

Raven watched the girl leave the room and turned back towards the man,

"Wednesdays aren't good for me."

A bead of sweat ran down the man's forehead like the stuffing of the notebook was a workout for him. Annoyance crossed his features, "I don't know what to tell you then. Look, I'm a little busy…"

Suddenly, the planner became encased with darkness and shoved itself perfectly into his bag. Dr. Cunningham jumped away from his bag like it was on fire and looked around wildly when he heard the sound of all the doors locking. His eyes shot towards Raven as she pulled down her hood and stepped closer.

"I think you can fit me into your schedule."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story! Please continue!

much love

BBS

Seven devils all around me

Seven devils in my house

See they were there when I woke up this morning

I'll be dead before the day is done

"Seven Devils"- Florence and the Machine

* * *

Raven found herself in Mahogany Hall less than twenty minutes later with a relatively calm Dr. Cunningham. She was surprised by how well he handled their teleportation. His face only paling slightly and only a few beads of sweat hanging from his brow. Other than that, he looked like his favorite athlete just high-fived him. He walked over and sat behind his large desk as Raven continued to stand by the door. She heard the sliding of a drawer and then Dr. Cunningham pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

"Well I think I need a drink after that," he said as he tipped the bottle into a dusty glass. He brought out another one and looked up at the violet haired girl.

"You want a glass?" he asked, trying to remain nonchalant. Raven raised an eyebrow and stepped closer, eventually sitting herself in a seat across from the man.

"Sure," she said flatly and looked around the room. Various pentagrams and symbols were hung up on the walls, many she knew, but unlike his slides, a few she was unclear about. Was that was for summoning a greater demon or for locking a demon within an object? She felt something like relief. At least that lack of knowledge proved she had somewhat of a life.

Another dusty glass filled half-way with the amber liquid was pushed towards her. They both took a sip, his lasting longer than hers. Raven could tell the man was a drinker. She didn't blame him in his line of work. He stared back at her with interest and a bit excitement and Raven felt it. It sat with her like the warmth of the alcohol in her stomach. _Robin would shit himself if he knew I had a drink, _she thought. She stole a glance at the clock.

9:00

Oh yeah she was going to be late getting back to the tower. He was definitely going to shit himself. She took another drink, longer this time.

Dr. Cunningham cleared his throat, the star struck man becoming serious, "Well Raven. I'm assuming you came here for some sort of information and I'll try my best to help you, but I'm not sure how much I can. You have more…resources than I do."

Raven sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, "You'd be surprised. I try not to delve too deeply into that part of my family tree."

He nodded, understanding and pushed his glasses back up his nose, "So how can I help you?"

The demonic girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and pushed it across the table, "Do you know what that is?"

She saw a look of recognition settle on his face and Raven was pleased to know she wasn't wasting her time. He brought the paper closer to him, smoothing out the wrinkles, and looked back up at her,

"I know exactly what it is. Where did you see it?"

"Can you tell me more about it?"

He shrugged off the fact that she ignored his question, pleased to know he knew something more about the demon world than an actual demon.

He moved the paper towards the middle of the desk and leaned forward. Raven copied his movements, her elbows resting on the desk and her hands clasped under her chin.

"This," he began circling the perimeter of the sun's rays, "is sort of a badge of honor in the demon world. A demon receives it when it kills an angel."

Raven nodded, already knowing the information. Dr. Cunningham continued, "The symbol on the inside is like the demonic version of a family crest. I have to admit though, I'm not familiar with specific demon...uhh… families so I can't tell you who this one belongs to."

"It's my father's,"

His shock smacked her empathy across the face, "So you…?"

"Killed an angel. It was an asshole though. Long story. Listen, I need to know if there's any more to this than just a mark on my skin. I've been having these visions…"

Raven trailed off when she felt the sadness and fear pulse off the man. He looked like he was about to tell her some bad news. Fear began to tremble in its cage and she locked it tight, keeping her face stoic.

"I'm guessing that's not all."

The glasses were pushed back up and he poured her more to drink even though hers was still full, "No it's not. Raven, are you familiar with Heaven's archangels?"

She didn't like where this was going. She hated angels. Her only experience with one sucked and she knew it wasn't fair to group them all with the Seraph, but whatever, fuck those guys.

"I mean we don't get together on weekends or anything but, yeah, I've heard of them. Seven of them. God's," her tongue burned, "finest."

Dr. Cunningham nodded and his damn glasses slipped again, "Well, Hell has its own sort of archangels; seven demons that have proved themselves worthy of Satan's guard. They've been his most loyal disciples since the war between Heaven and Hell."

The vision of seven shadows flashed in her mind and Raven inhaled sharply, a sickening knot twisting in her stomach. She felt the mark burning, catching her skin on fire. Dr. Cunningham took off his glasses, his brown eyes staring into her violet ones,

"Raven, it is my professional opinion that at some point, each original member of The Seven will come to you. That's how this part of the initiation process usually goes. They'll come to you individually of course and in different forms. They'll want to present you with something and I cannot stress how important it is that you are careful should you choose to accept these gifts."

Her eyes left his and found themselves resting on a large Crucifix. Crucifixes always made her uncomfortable, her demon blood pounding through her human heart irritatingly fast. The figurine of Jesus Christ stared sadly at her like she was the one nailed up on a cross and not him.

The demonic girl stood up too quickly, knocking the chair over. Dr. Cunningham's eyes widened in surprise, "Are you alright?"

She started feeling her control slip, her demonic powers beginning to cover half the room in black. The sad Jesus became submerged in her own darkness. She pulled up her hood, her face betraying no distress.

"I have to go. I really appreciate your help. I'll be back. Office hours on Wednesdays, correct?"

Before he could answer, she wrapped the wings of her soul self around her and flew through the ceiling.

* * *

Raven found herself in a park nearby, stumbling across the mulch as she landed. Her hand grabbed onto the swing set for support and the swings swung wildly, wrapping and re-wrapping themselves around the top bar.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

She repeated it until all of her emotions were safely tucked away and the swings fell back into place. A few deep breaths in and out and she felt calm. She walked over and sat on the swing, her feet dragging across the dirt. The swing creaked under her weight as she gently swayed.

_Alright. So I'm going to be visited by seven demons, each picked by Satan himself, and they will come bearing gifts. Right. Okay…My life is so fucked up._

Raven kicked roughly at the dirt, thinking of how she'd tell her friends, of how'd she tell Robin. Robin. _Oh shit._ She pulled her communicator out of her pocket. 10:00. One missed call.

She called back and the com only sounded once when he answered,

"Raven, is everything okay?"

She smiled at the sound of his voice, relieved that it wasn't tinged with anger

"Yeah I just finished talking to the professor. I'll be home soon. I just have to think."

"Alright just don't be too late," he paused and his voice slipped from leader-mode, " I missed you."

The smile grew on her face, "I missed you too. See you in a bit, bird boy."

Raven heard the smile in his voice, "Bye, bird girl."

As soon as she hung up, the guilt began to sink in. It felt like every time they managed to get out of danger, she would put them right back in it. Seven demons would be crawling the Earth and it was all because of her. She kicked the dirt again pretending it was her face.

"Hey," she heard a voice say. She looked up and saw a boy around her age standing in the street light. He looked relatively harmless and his emotions weren't threatening so she continued to swing and feel like a shitty person.

"Hi."

"Are you okay?"

She felt his concern and gave the boy a second glance. He was a good-looking kid from what she could see. Sandy blond hair was tucked under a baseball hat and sinewy muscles were visible in a plain blue t-shirt. She thought he was about Robin's height and was proved correctly when he walked closer.

"You know you look kinda creepy swinging on this swing set at night with your hood up. It's like something out of a horror movie. Cute little girl swinging on a swing set, turns out she's a demon."

Raven snorted, "I'm not a little girl."

"Oh I can see that."

She rolled her eyes, "Look I'm a little busy right now so why don't you run along back to your frat house."

The boy threw his head back and laughed and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket before sitting on the swing next to her. He grabbed one out of the pack and stuck in between his lips, "You are a funny one, sunshine."

Once the cigarette was lit, he turned his hat around and Raven got a full view of his face. He was very good-looking with playful brown eyes and a mischievous grin. He started pumping his legs, kicking up a bit of dirt as he swung higher and higher. Raven turned away from him and sighed. He was cutting into her self-loathing time.

Suddenly, he stopped his swinging, a cloud of dirt coming up from the ground, "Where are my manners? Would you like a smoke?"

Raven looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "You know you're paying for cancer, right?"

There was a glint in his eye, "Oh don't worry. I stole them. I rather get cancer for free."

She turned her head towards him.

The boy's smile only grew bigger, "What? You gonna tell the Titans on me?"

She smirked back, "No because you just told one yourself."

Raven had anticipated shock. She had hoped he'd leave, knowing she was a Titan and she could go back to being alone. But instead, she felt his amusement.

"I knew it was you, sunshine. The half-demon one. I saw you make the swings go crazy. Hey, do you think you can do that with me on it?"

_Jesus Christ, leave._

"So you're not gonna leave?"

"Why would I? You gonna eat me or something?"

She turned away from him and stared straight ahead, "Nope. I'm still a little full from the school bus of children I had earlier."

His handsome laugh came again and even though she didn't want to, Raven felt pleased with herself. She pulled down her hood, her face welcoming the summer night's breeze. She felt the boy's eyes on her again,

"What?" she asked annoyed.

"See, everyone goes on and on about Starfire, which don't get me wrong she is fucking sexy, but you really are a looker."

"Alright I'm leaving," she said and stood up from her swing. She wiped imaginary dust off her jeans, "Thanks for being tolerable for longer than five minutes."

She began to feel his fear crawl up her spine and looked back at him, "Uhh…boy?"

"GET DOWN!" he yelled as he threw himself onto her and knocked them both to the ground. Her chin hit the ground and she bit her lip, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth.

"What the…"

"Put up a shield!

"What?"

"JUST DO IT!" he yelled as he pulled them off the ground and began to run. As soon as she put up a shield, four sharp objects bounced off of it and disappeared into the park's trees. After the initial shock, Raven was ready for battle, her hands surrounded by her dark power and her eyes glowing white. She reached out with her empathy, trying to feel for someone she didn't recognize.

She turned towards the boy, "Leave."

He looked at her and scowled, "I'm not leaving you..."

"NOW," she ordered again. For a second, she thought he was going to stay but he gave her one last look before disappearing into the trees. The last thing she felt was his anger and helplessness. As soon as he disappeared, something whizzed by her ear and stuck into a nearby tree. She threw up another shield and ran to it.

An arrow.

She pulled it out of the trunk just in time to dodge another arrow. She left the ground and flew up above the trees, reaching for her T-com but only felt the car key's weight. _Well thank God the car keys are here! Fuck me,_ she thought. It must've fallen out after that kid tackled her.

Raven heard another release of a bow and snapped up a shield, three more arrows bouncing off of it. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she yelled as a dark raven shot out from her and dove into the trees below. In her mind, she felt it searching for the attacker, flashes of the trees crossing her vision. Suddenly, it was right in front of her soul self and all she saw was a figure pull back a string, aiming at it. It hit his target and she cried out as her soul-self shot back inside her and she fell from the sky.

She felt her bones break as she hit the trees branches on her way down. They tore at her skin, sharp fingers greedy for her flesh. Finally, she hit the ground with a sickening thud and moaned painfully. Her arm was broken. Her ankle was definitely broken. Collarbone, maybe. Back? She moved and gasped in pain. Maybe not broken but something was fucked up. She felt a trickle of blood trail from her scalp and she waited for her attacker to shoot her like a wounded animal. Take her out of her misery. But he never came and Raven couldn't feel the presence of anyone.

Communicator-less, she knew she'd have to heal herself there on the ground. She closed her eyes, muttering her mantra between gasps of pain. She focused on her back and then her ankle, knowing she'd need to walk back to her car after using so much of her power. She cleared her head next, knowing that she'd need a clear head to drive home. Raven decided to leave the scrapes, none being too severe, and just plain didn't have the energy to heal her arm. She sat up and cradled her arm to her chest and looked up at the sky she had fallen from.

A good seventy foot drop and she lived.

_World's luckiest girl right here_


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for the reviews and follows! I hope you all are enjoying these first few chapters. Read on.

Much love

BBS

I had visions, I was in them

I was looking into the mirror

To see a little bit clearer

The rottenness and evil in me

"I'm Not Sick But I'm Not Well"-Lit

* * *

She walked back to the park slowly, her body protesting with each step and saw her T-com on the ground. Raven wiped off the bits of mulch and checked to see if it was broken. She was almost afraid to look at the time.

12:05. 20 missed calls. 10 texts.

She groaned and walked towards the car, passing the swing set she was on earlier. The hooded girl looked at the missed calls from all her teammates, noticing that most were Robin and Cyborg. Then she checked her texts.

**Robin:** Answer your com

**Beast Boy:** dude answer ur phone. robin is flipping out

**Beast Boy: **u better not be kidnapped

**Beast Boy: **again

**Robin:** I'm about 5 seconds away from tracking your com

**Cyborg:** Rae, your boyfriend is freaking out over here and I'm not too happy either. Answer your phone.

**Cyborg:** Did you turn your tracker off?

_What? No I didn't, _she thought defensively. She promised her team she wouldn't do things like that anymore as long as they promised to give her space when she asked for it.

**Beast Boy: **I CANT BELIEVE U TURNED UR TRACKER OFF! ROBIN IS PISSED

**Cyborg: **Where are you? Robin's out looking

**Beast Boy:** srsly tho, r u ok?

She sat in the driver's seat and closed the door. Her arm throbbed and her skin burned and all she could think about was how this night was complete bullshit. She clicked the first name she saw and closed her eyes and leaned her head against the steering wheel as it rang.

"BB?"

"Ohmygod, Raven you're okay."

"I wouldn't say that."

"What? Where are you? What happened?"

"I'll tell you guys when I'm back at the Tower. Is Robin still out?"

"Of course. Where are you? I'll come get you."

"No. I'll be there soon. Tell Robin I'm coming home. I'm not sure I want to hear what he has to say."

"Yeah. I wouldn't either," a pause, "You really scared us, Rae. I hope you have a good reason."

"Of course I have a good reason," she snapped and hung up. She could hear the accusation in his voice and she knew that there was only more to come from the Boy Wonder. The throbbing ache in her arm wasn't helping either. _So much for being able to patrol on my own again, _she thought bitterly. Raven shoved the key into the ignition and started the car.

* * *

The bridge from the mainland to the Tower's island was already lowered for her when she arrived and she assumed it was from Robin's R-cycle. Usually a beacon of hope, the giant T seemed to loom over her in disappointment. The ground lowered into a ramp and Raven drove the car into the underground garage. She saw the R-cycle parked haphazardly and still felt his anger lingering in the room. He must've just arrived. She stepped out of the car and slammed the door. The robotic voice greeted her

**Recognized: Raven**

Cradling her arm, she walked into the elevator, readying for the whirlwind of emotions she expected from her teammates. Raven stepped out of the elevator doors and looked around. Her stomach knotted uncomfortably when she saw Robin, who was staring out the Titan's enormous window facing the ocean. His anger was a fierce heat she was not eager to touch.

Beast Boy and Starfire sat at the kitchen table and looked up when she walked in. Beast Boy's eyes widened,

"Holy shit."

Cyborg stood up from the couch, radiating disappointment and concern, but one look at her sent him into a state of worry. Raven knew she looked like hell, but by the look of half the robotic man's face, it was worse than she suspected. She even still had her hood up. It took him just three strides to reach her,

"Raven! You're bleeding!"

The Boy Wonder's emotions turned around almost as fast as he did. The sudden change in her literal soul mate's emotions made her dizzy and she swayed. It was like being in dry heat and then hitting freezing water. Cyborg reached for her but she immediately took a step back, holding her arm protectively,

"Don't. My arm's broken."

The effect of her sudden submersion into the masked boy's concern wore off and she felt stupid for pulling away from Cyborg. Robin reached her, looking at her tattered clothes stained with patches of blood and then at the way she held her arm. He reached a hand behind her hood and pulled it down. Raven saw both the boys' eyes widen even the ones that were masked. The next thing she knew, a chair was under her and Robin's careful hands were gently examining her head and face.

"We're going to need to go to the med room to clean these up," he dropped to her eye level but she looked away, the intense worry hidden behind his mask becoming overwhelming. Robin looked at the girl's face which betrayed no emotion despite the damage inflicted upon it. A large purple bruise was flowering on her right cheek bone. Her bottom lip was busted and a long scratch came close to her eye. Although it was healed, the amount of blood trailing from her head suggested a nasty gash.

He rested a comforting hand on her knee, wanting her violet eyes to meet his, "Raven, what happened? Did someone attack you?"

"Yes but this isn't from the attacker. I fell."

"How far did you fall?"

"About 70 feet."

"Raven! That could've killed you!"

She finally met his masked eyes. Her voice as emotionless as her face,

"I think we all know by now that it's a little hard to kill me."

Raven could feel his debate on whether to be angry, amused, or concerned. He pinched the bridge between his eyes for a moment and then ran a hand through his hair. He suddenly sounded tired,

"Why did you turn off your tracker? We had an agreement. "

She pulled out her communicator and tossed it at Cyborg, "I didn't turn it off. I swear."

The Titan's technology expert quickly opened it up examining its parts. He suddenly stopped and said, "Rob, the tracker system in here is fried. She didn't do this."

She felt the remnants of Robin's anger evaporate.

"Tell me what happened."

* * *

An hour later, Raven had told and retold the story of what happened to her teammates all while Cyborg put a cast on her broken arm. She insisted that he didn't bother since it would heal by morning anyways, but he was stubborn so she allowed it.

When she told Robin about the guy at the park, his brow furrowed.

"He could've been a distraction, someone working for the attacker."

Raven rolled her eyes, but was amused by the hint of jealousy she felt from him

"He's the one who saved me from the first round of arrows. I think it's safe to say he was just as surprised as I was. I would know. I felt his emotions."

Cyborg scanned her with the X-ray machine one more time before speaking,

"Well you shouldn't be alone at a park at night with a strange boy feeling anything of his."

Beast Boy snorted as he turned a page of his comic, his legs dangling off the side of a bed parallel to hers. She shot him a look before returning her attention to the other Titans. Robin looked disturbed and began talking,

"Something doesn't sit right with me."

The Titans looked inquisitively at their leader who walked over to the screen in medical room, a smaller version of the one in the main room. His fingers flew over the keyboard and a large picture filled the screen.

Raven knew that face, but the last time she had seen it in person was 5 years ago. She pushed away the memory.

"Green Arrow," Starfire said in recognition.

Robin turned towards his team, "He hasn't been seen or heard by the Justice League in over a week, which is unusual for him. They reported him missing two days ago. They contacted heroes here on Earth to participate in a search." Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg nodded in affirmation, but Raven was lost. How did she not know about this?

He looked at Raven, interrupting her thoughts, "That is why we were so worried. We thought you might've been taken by the same people that took him," he faced the other Titans when he added, "I just don't know how much of a coincidence it is that an archer goes missing and then one appears here in Jump."

Cyborg crossed his arms, thinking, "You think Green Arrow has gone bad?"

Robin closed the picture on the screen and sighed, "I don't know what to think."

"Wait," Raven interrupted, "you guys were contacted by the League?"

They all nodded.

She laughed humorously and hopped off the medical bed, "Knew it." Raven turned to leave when she felt a hand grab her arm. She met Robin's confused face,

"You weren't contacted?" he asked.

Raven pulled out of his grasp with a sigh, "Of course they didn't Robin. They don't see me as a hero."

She turned her back on them and left for the sanctuary of her room.

* * *

Her door slid open and she immediately closed it behind her. Raven looked around her room and ran a hand through her hair, pulling out a leaf in the process. She saw her bed, the wrought iron frame twisted to look like tree roots and branches climbing the dark indigo wall behind it. Her light blue sheets were tangled with her charcoal gray comforter and a couple pillows thrown across the mattress. One she knew smelled like Robin. The large window facing her was sealed shut and in case she was feeling particularly moody, she could block out any light with the thick black curtains that framed it. Facing her bed was a giant gothic-looking mirror and was flanked by two enormous black book shelves that Cyborg had put in for her. However, half the books were laid open or in stacks on the ground and Raven frowned at her mess, but made no move to pick it up. Instead, she walked over to her messy bed and fell backwards onto the blankets.

Raven wasn't surprised by the fact that the Justice League didn't contact her, but she was annoyed that they were petty enough to not give her information on a missing member. Any other day she would've told herself "fuck those guys" and move on, but now it was just another reminder that she would never be accepted by those bastards no matter how many lives she saved. She would never be able to prove that she wasn't what they thought she was.

_I'm not evil._

The itch in her useless cast reminded her of the fall which reminded her of the attack which reminded her of why she was there in the first place. The thought of The Seven came back into spotlight. She put a pillow over her face and groaned, wishing it were possible to smother herself with it.

_Wow, today sucked._

She hoped no immortals demons planned on visiting tonight because she did not feel like having company.

* * *

(Robin POV)

Robin entered his room and stormed over to his computer. He had thought about going to Raven and asking how she was or at least ask about her class, but the obvious "Leave me alone" radiating from their Bond kept him away. Also he didn't want to inflict the intensity of his anger on her empathy especially since it was not directed at her.

He typed in a series of passcodes and waited as the computer loaded and established a connection with a server in Gotham. The masked boy forced himself into stoicism despite his mind calling for the release yelling would give him. Suddenly, the face he needed to see appeared on the screen.

"Robin. Any news on Green Arrow?"

"No. This particular call doesn't concern him, Batman."

The Dark Knight frowned when he heard the darkness that had crept into his former sidekick's voice "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes. This call is about the League's failure to collaborate with Titan's West."

"We contacted members of your team with the information."

"You could at least have the decency to not pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about. You didn't contact my whole team."

"You are referring to the half-demon—"

"You know her name. Use it."

Several seconds elapsed between Batman and Robin, masked eyes daring the other to back down. The former finally speaking, "Raven was not contacted by the Justice League because it was decided that she cannot be trusted with League information."

Robin gripped the table, "She cannot be trusted? She has saved countless lives."

"She endangers many more lives. Do you realize what I had to do to keep the League from interfering when she killed that man two months ago?"

"He was a murderer of women and children and a hired hit man for one of the League's most wanted villains. She was defending herself."

"She did not need to tear a man apart to defend herself. Are you listening to yourself, Robin? We are heroes. We do not kill."

"Not everything is so black and white Batman," the venom was back in his voice, "it was her natural reaction to defend herself and only certain circumstances ever call for that reaction from her."

"Because she is a demon."

"You seem to have forgotten she is also human."

Another silence fell between the old dynamic duo. Robin was seething and it was taking everything in his power not to start yelling at his mentor.

"Robin, I do not have a problem with Raven. She seems to be an asset to your team and I can respect that but I cannot trust her."

"If you don't trust her, then you don't trust my decisions as the Titan's leader."

"You know that's not how I feel."

Robin would never admit it, but he had been concerned that his father figure did not trust him to make the right decisions. After all, it was his decision to have Raven on the team; the same girl who had asked for help from the Justice League and then had been denied her last hope by sworn protectors. Suddenly, the Boy Wonder was angry again.

"Raven was attacked tonight by an unknown archer."

The Dark Knight's surprise was clear even under his cowl and he spoke,

"Do you think it was Green Arrow?"

"She didn't get a good look. If it was him, I don't think he would've missed. But it is a strange coincidence. One missing archer and one showing up here in Jump."

Batman nodded, thinking.

"It's a long way from Star City, but we can't rule it out yet. Keep me updated."

"I will. And Batman?"

The mentor looked back up at his prodigy.

"She's fine. Thanks for asking."

And for the first time, Robin ended the call first. He tossed his mask aside and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes before running his hands back into his hair. Then he walked over to his bed and fell back on it, covering his eyes with the back of his arm. Something told him he was going to need some sleep.


End file.
